Clear vs Legible

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Clear

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adjective

Legible

Top 5,000 (fairly common) B1 adjective

Most common: Clear

	Clear	Legible
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/klɪə(r)/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/klɪr/"]/	🇬🇧 //ˈlɛdʒɪbəl// 🇺🇸 //ˈlɛdʒəbl//
Meaning	Easy to see through or understand.	Easy to read or understand
Example	The sky is very clear today, perfect for a picnic.	The teacher said my handwriting is very legible.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 5,000 (fairly common)
CEFR level	A2	B1
Part of speech	adjective	adjective
Collocations	be, seem, become, extremely, fairly, very, to, clear and concise, be, seem, become, extremely, fairly, very, to, clear and concise, be, extremely, fairly, very, about, on, be, look, become, extremely, fairly, very, loud and clear, be, become, extremely, fairly, very, be, look, seem, completely, fairly, pretty, of	legible text, legible handwriting, legible print
Antonyms	cloudy, unclear, muddy	illegible, unreadable
Common mistakes	'Clear' is often confused with 'clean.', 'Clear' is sometimes incorrectly used as a verb instead of an adjective., Learners may forget to use 'clear' to describe abstract concepts, like thoughts.	Confused with 'illegible' which means unreadable., Using it incorrectly to describe small font size instead of clarity., Using 'legibilities' as a plural form which is incorrect.
Usage notes	Use 'clear' to describe something easily understood or free of obstructions. It’s appropriate in both casual and formal contexts. Avoid using it in overly technical discussions where precision matters.	Use when referring to text or handwriting that is clear. It's appropriate in both formal and informal contexts.

See it in real clips

Sherlock › S1 E1

Quite clear.

Better Call Saul › S1 E1

One good fall, he'd clear 6, 8 grand.

Band Of Brothers › S1 E1

Is that clear?

Sherlock › S1 E1

Quite clear.

Better Call Saul › S1 E1

One good fall, he'd clear 6, 8 grand.

Clear

Frequently asked questions: Clear vs Legible

What's the difference between Clear and Legible?

Clear: Easy to see through or understand. Legible: Easy to read or understand

Which is more common: Clear and Legible?

Clear is the most common in everyday English.

Which is more advanced: Clear and Legible?

Legible is the highest level, at B1, on the CEFR scale.

Are Clear and Legible the same CEFR level?

Clear: A2, Legible: B1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Clear and Legible?

Clear: adjective, Legible: adjective.

Can you show an example of each?

Clear: The sky is very clear today, perfect for a picnic. Legible: The teacher said my handwriting is very legible.

Can I use Clear and Legible interchangeably?

Not always. Clear and Legible are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.